


That sacred bond

by elareine



Series: Advent Calendar 2019 [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: (and some background Pining), Accidental Marriage, Aliens, Denial of Feelings, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Mission Related, Obliviousness, Sharing a Bed, developing crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:41:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21628558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elareine/pseuds/elareine
Summary: “I think…”A snort.Tim ignored it with the ease of long practice. “I think they’re assuming that we’re married.”
Relationships: Tim Drake/Damian Wayne
Series: Advent Calendar 2019 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558834
Comments: 12
Kudos: 458
Collections: Tim Drake





	That sacred bond

**Author's Note:**

> For day one of my bat-centric Advent calendar: Accidental marriage. Though it turned into accidental fake marriage, oops.

“I think…” 

A snort. 

Tim ignored it with the ease of long practice. “I think they’re assuming that we’re married.” 

_That_ brought Damian up short. “Married?” 

“Xii has referred to our ‘sacred bond’ three times now, what did you think that meant?” 

Damian hissed back: “Well, certainly not that! Why would they think that we’re—that we’re—” 

Well. It looked like after all these years, Tim had finally found something that was revulsive to Damian again. And all it took was being assumed to be in a relationship with him. 

“We did introduce ourselves by the same last name,” he pointed out, “and we do not look related.” 

The reminder visibly set Damian’s teeth on edge. “So?” 

“And then there’s this.” Tim lifted his hand. The light reflected off the translator ring they’d been given by the League. 

Damian looked as if he wanted to incinerate it on the spot. “So they have researched human bonding customs and come to a false conclusion regarding our relationship?” 

“That’s what I’ve been saying, yes.” 

Tim expected some kind of tantrum, followed by an indignant clarification of their marital status to their hosts. Instead, Damian’s gaze grew calculating, and he leaned back, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “That might be to our advantage.” 

“How so?” 

“It would be rude to correct them.” Well, yeah, it was just a bit of a trip to hear Damian of all people say so. “And we are trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. That is why the League sent humans in the first place. I believe our status as ‘bonded mates’ would help that impression.”

“You wouldn’t mind pretending?” Tim asked, taken aback. Sure, Damian wasn’t in any relationship right now as far as Tim knew, but still. If this spread… the League would never let them hear the end of it. 

Damian shrugged. “How hard can it be?” 

“We don’t know where they got their ideas of marriage and love from,” Tim took malicious pleasure in pointing out. “It might have been rom-coms. We will have to act like a happy-end.” 

For a second, Damian looked as if he was reconsidering. Then he nodded. “That might be expected, yes.” 

“Okay.” 

“Okay.” 

It took some time for their ideas to be put into practice, as they were conducting separate negotiations at first. Finally, however, the alien debating space traffic regulations with Tim called for a break. 

“We are aware that it is tough for Earth-pairs to be separated,” they told Tim sympathetically. “Your bonded-mate is in the room next to us.” 

“Thank you.” Tim bowed in the local custom, despite having not near enough joints to assume the correct form. It seemed to delight them, anyway, and he left the room feeling pretty good about his negotiation skills. 

Damian, too, looked like he was making headway. He was talking to three aliens at once, about their defense missile system from what it sounded. Tim made sure to approach as quietly as possible, not wanting to intrude (and perhaps wanting to get the jump on Damian. Just a little bit.) 

“Hey, honey,” Tim murmured, immediately wanting to laugh at himself. If he ever were to bestow Damian with a pet name, it certainly wouldn’t be something as mellow as honey. 

Damian didn’t visibly react, which was better than the flinch Tim had expected. Once Tim sat down next to him, though, Damian took his hand. Without taking his eyes off the alien he was listening to, he linked their hands on the table, just letting them rest there. 

Tim’s heart gave an unexpected pang. It was the kind of gesture he’d been missing in his last relationship, had craved by its end—just some sign of affection that wasn’t related to sex. To receive it, now, from Damian of all people… it was a bit of a mindfuck. 

A gentle squeeze of his hand brought Tim back to the present. Big green eyes were looking at him with concern now. 

“Are you feeling well, beloved?” 

Tim did his best not to smile gratefully. It was for show, he reminded himself. Damian didn’t actually care. He’d proven that over and over in the last decade. “Yes, I’m fine.” 

Damian nodded and turned back to the conversation. His hand remained on Tim’s, but Tim didn’t allow himself to become distracted again. 

At least until the food arrived. 

Xii beamed at them. (Literally. They emitted light when pleased.) “Our research has told us this the Earth-food preferable to mates at your stage of bonding.” 

Tim stared at the assortment of fruit slices and chocolate trifles in dismay. His hypothesis about rom-com had started off as a convenient way to make Damian uncomfortable, but it was looking increasingly likely. Fuck. 

...at least the food was vegetarian. 

“Thank you,” Damian told them. Then he picked out a slice of mango and held it out to Tim. “Look, beloved, they have your favorite.” 

Tim directed a smile at their host. “Yes, thank you.” When he went to take the piece of fruit from Damian, though, the other man just moved his hand higher. 

Oh. Right. 

Rom-coms. 

Tim leaned forward and awkwardly took the slice of mango into his mouth, trying very hard not to touch Damian’s fingers as he did so. Still his lips brushed against calloused fingerpads, causing Tim to pull back quickly, trying to ignore the tingling the contact left behind. 

Around them, talks resumed. Damian let Tim eat on his own for the most part, but he occasionally picked a particularly fine piece of fruit to feed to him, and Tim had to take it every time. He tried to discombobulate Damian in turn by offering him a piece of dark chocolate. All Damian did was take his hand and lift it higher, taking the offering into his mouth as if it was an honor to be presented something from Tim. 

It was immensely distracting, and Tim couldn’t wait for the evening to be over. 

Tim gave a low whistle when they entered their assigned quarters. It was quite something; Jason would’ve called it ‘swanky.’

Before he could comment on the golden diwan or the large mirrors, however, Damian was… hissing at him? “I thought you were a good undercover agent.” 

Tim bristled. “I am.” 

“Well, do better.” 

“At _what?_ ” 

Damian sniffed. “You look reluctant to be touched by me. That is not the impression we wish to convey.” 

“Well, maybe I _am_ ,” Tim shot back even as he internally acknowledged that Damian had a point. 

“That does not matter to a professional. I am fully aware that it is a chore for you to pretend to be in love with me,” Damian said stiffly. “But you agreed that it is critical for the mission to succeed.” 

Something about that didn’t sit right with Tim, but all he could say was: “Yeah, yeah. I’ll hold your hand all day tomorrow, alright?” 

“Whatever you think necessary.” With that, the conversation seemed to be over for Damian. “I will see what bathing facilities they have provided us with. Are you going to join me?” 

Hell, no. “I… I’ll just turn in.” 

“If you say so.” Damian shrugged as if he couldn’t care less, leaving Tim alone with his thoughts. 

Even as he changed down into his pajamas and slid under the covers, Tim’s mind wouldn’t stay at the task at hand. 

The thing was: Tim actually loved mangoes. And he couldn’t remember ever telling Damian that. 

Damian had just been so… caring all day. Holding his hand, making sure he ate, giving him the best pieces of everything. Tim hadn’t felt so wanted in years. 

When Tim realized what he was thinking, he slapped his own forehead. He wasn’t crushing on Damian. That just wasn’t happening, not over some stupid fake pretend mission, not ever. Hell, Tim wasn’t even sure if he _trusted_ Damian. 

To have his back in a fight, sure, no question. But with his feelings? 

Luckily, Damian cut that line of thinking off by coming back into the room. With only his boxers on. Hair wet, skin glistening, scars on full display like the marks of victory and survival they were. 

And then he had the nerve to frown at Tim for gaping. “I thought you wanted to sleep.” 

“How can I when you’re making so much noise?” Tim countered, turning away demonstratively. Sadly, that didn’t keep him from hearing the bed creak as Damian climbed in next to him, feeling Damian’s warmth as its narrowness left him no choice but to basically press right up against Tim. 

Damian really wasn’t wearing much, was he? 

Tim buried his head in the pillows. It was going to be a long week. 


End file.
